


Fifty Thousand Reasons

by bre_0



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-30
Updated: 2014-06-30
Packaged: 2018-02-06 19:51:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1870257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bre_0/pseuds/bre_0
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Felicity gets conned to participate in a bachelorette auction and gets much more than she ever dreamed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Auction

Felicity was going to kill Thea.

No, better yet, she was going to ruin her credit. Or make a nasty meme with Thea riding a badly superimposed unicorn, while wearing a tutu-the unicorn-not Thea.

How had Thea talked her into this! Felicity resisted the urge to bite her nails, because it would ruin the deep purple polish, which then would make her look exactly how she felt-like a complete fraud playing dress up with the rich all around. Also uneven, broken nails could bring her price down. She already had so much going against her in this that there wasn’t any reason to add ammunition to her demise.

Felicity stood backstage at the elegant Starling Carlton Hotel. When Thea had come to her in a panic early this morning, begging Felicity for her help with a charity auction, Felicity made the stupid assumption, they were auctioning  _things._ Felicity did not notice the gleam in Thea’s eyes until much, much too late.

 Before she could retract her acceptance, Thea had kidnapped her from her office at Queen Consolidated and whisked her away for a day to the salon, shopping, pedicure and manicure; like a cattle fatten for the feast.

Because Thea, the darling little Machiavellian disguised as a twenty year old socialite, oh so sweetly told her, no, they weren’t auctioning off items, but _bachelorettes_. Of course, Thea made sure to tell her after they were backstage and Felicity was in line and when Felicity balked, Thea pleaded for her to think of the children and their desperate need of funds.

Now here she was, primped and pretty in a lovely purple gown, standing behind the likes of supermodels and prominent women like Laurel, who so happened to have went three ladies before her. Felicity watched from the side of the stage . Laurel fetched a respectable ten thousand dollars by a local philanthropic business man. From the way she smiled at him, it seemed they were old friends.

Because you know, buying women was legal-if you said it was for charity. The next two women went, a reality TV starlet and pediatric neurosurgeon. Both bid out at seven and nine thousand dollars.

Great, just great. Felicity wasn’t under false illusions about her appearance. She was pretty. She could turn heads if she put in the effort, but in this arena where there was a silent competition going among the women and the crowd, it became all about stock and appearance. Overall, it made Felicity’s stomach turn and want to throw up.

She wondered if Oliver would be too pissed off if she put his sister on National Enquirer with a tagline regarding alien probing.

“Our last bachelorette of the evening is the lovely Ms. Felicity Smoak. Ms. Smoak is the Applied Science director for Queen Consolidated, along with graduating Eta Kappa Nu from MIT, Ms. Smoak is a sterling example of women in the computer sciences.”  _Guess cyber vigilante and technical brains for the Arrow couldn’t fit on the bio,_ she tried to joke with herself, battling the hive of wasps rattling under her skin. The matron at the podium, a large stately woman in the gray dress, looked to her direction and motioned for her to come forward.

Felicity took in a unsteady breath and focused her left foot forward.  _Don’t trip, don’t trip, don’t trip,_ she chanted to herself and tried not to squint when the bright lights of the stage momentarily blinded her. Felicity could barely see into the crowd. The people all were a mush of colors and shapes.

“We will start the bidding at two thousand.” Felicity waited and braced herself for the inevitable humiliation.

“Four thousand!” A deep male voice boomed from the back of the room.

Felicity’s heart leaped, she couldn’t tell who the man was and why did it sound familiar?

“We have four, do we hear five?”

“Six thousand!” Said another male voice, this one unfamiliar.

“Seven!”Said the first voice.

“Nine!” The second man said. Felicity tried to see anything about either man, but she couldn’t make it out in the crowd.

The matron smiled wide, she looked like a shark smelling blood.

“Do I hear ten?”

“Fifteen!” Cried out the first man and something about the way he said it caused an odd shiver go down Felicity’s spine. If she didn’t know better, the man almost sounded like Oliver. But that wouldn’t make sense, since one Oliver would be home with Conner tonight and second, if he was here, he sure as hell won’t be spending fifteen thousand dollars to spend the night with her. He did that for free already.

Felicity felt the blush on her cheeks.

“Twenty!” The second man called out and Felicity’s heart pounded. What was going on? Was this some sort of elaborate joke?

The matron looked at Felicity in amazement, puzzling, Felicity was sure, why a little nobody just got a twenty thousand dollar bid.

“Do I hear twenty-five?” The matron sounded as surprised and unsure as Felicity felt.

“Thirty!” the second voice said again and Felicity saw someone move towards the stage from the right. As the tall figure drew closer she had to bite her tongue to keep from gasping.  _Ted!_ Ted Kord and she had dated for a few months, but broke up after mutual agreement. Ted wanted a woman who could love him completely, and Felicity, well, Felicity wanted something she couldn’t have.

Ted caught her eye, and gave her a massive roughish smile. It brightened his handsome face.

The matron squeaked and said, “Thirty! Do we have thirty five!”

Silence permeated the room. Ted’s grin grew.

“Thirty going once,”

Someone moved from the left side of the room. People shifted and drew back like Moses to the sea.

The silhouette came closer and the outline of the man became sharper. This time she did gasp. She couldn’t help it.

She knew that outline, those shoulders, the long torso, the legs, now encased in Armani, where most nights they were in leather.

Oliver blue eyes flashed fire meting hers.

Felicity’s legs felt like jelly and she knew the blush was now of epic proportions.

The room faded and she was breathless.

“Fifty!” Oliver’s rich voice boomed, sounding like lighting cracking. His eyes never left hers.

From the corner of her eye, Felicity noticed Ted’s deep frown and his glare at Oliver.

“Fifty!” The matron choked and did the count down again.

“Gone once, going twice.” She paused and then no one made another sound, she banged down the gravel and said, “Congratulations, Mr. Queen, you have just won a date with Ms. Smoak.”

Oliver didn’t look away, but a slow, sensual smile graced his mouth.

A tight awareness sizzled up Felicity spine.

“Best fifty thousand dollars I have ever spent.” He said, and extended his right arm towards Felicity.

Her head spun and when she placed her hand in his large, out stretched hand, she felt anchored and adrift at the same time.

Ted came up to them just as Felicity stepped onto the ballroom floor. Oliver’s arm snaked around her waist and pulled her flush against his side.

Ted’s face darkened at the sight, but he came directly to Felicity and said, “Gorgeous as always. “ He kissed Felicity’s cheek and seem to smirk at Oliver’s not to subtle growl.

Something about that noise, broke through some of the haze enveloping Felicity since she saw Oliver and when she blinked, she noticed- _really noticed_ -the two men.

“While I am sure there are a ton of women who would enjoy having two handsome men snarling around her like dogs for a bone, I have had too many shocks tonight to properly appreciate it.”

Ted looked sheepish and gave her a smile, “As always, you are singular, my dear Felicity.”

Felicity moved out of Oliver’s hold on her waist, but let her left hand trail his arm and link her fingers with his. She touched Ted with her right hand and squeezed his arm.

“Thanks for bidding. Thea kinda of railroaded me into this and I was worried I was going to be dead last.”

Both men looked at each other then at her with incredulity. Something passed between them, because Ted gave her a slight, sad smile and kissed her cheek again, “Have a wonderful date. “ He moved away, and gave Oliver a hard stare, “Queen.”

Oliver responded in kind, “Kord.”

Then he walked away and mingled until Felicity lost sight of him.

The hair next her ear fluttered as Oliver whispered, “Why don’t we get out of here?”

A delicate shiver coursed through her, “You know you overpaid- by like a lot. Especially considering you already spend most of your nights with me.”

His eyes grew dark at the part of her sentence and the blush came back so quickly, she didn’t have a chance even bother fixing her latest blunder.

Again his arm came around her waist and he said, his voice very low and heavy,”Felicity you are not cheap. Never, in a million years, would anyone ever think of you as cheap. “ Part of her wasn’t sure what he meant. Did he mean she was classy or did he mean she was expensive because of all the computer and technical equipment she made him buy for Team Arrow?

Too many things and emotions were swimming inside her. Her head felt heady and dizzy She decided she needed to keep things as light as possible, “What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were going to spend the night with Conner?”

“Roy and Diggle came over and kidnapped him to a baseball game. Seems a movie night with dad isn’t as cool as hanging out with his two uncles and screaming at umpires.”

Felicity smiled and relaxed a little as Oliver moved them towards the back of the room towards the exit.

“Ready to go on our date?” He asked, his voice strangely nervous. Felicity looked at him in surprise, “You really want to go on a date and now?”

He eyes twinkled and he leaded in again, his breath warming a small patch of skin on her neck, “Of course I do. Do you know when the next time I am going to have a night off?”

He led her out, never moving his hand from her waist and paid for their “date”. Something leaped into her throat when he signed the check and Oliver took her hand into his.

“Are you ready?” He asked.

He looked at her, his blue eyes deep and serious. So many questions laid there, so much hope and fear. But steady, so very steady. It had been a look she never thought she would see come from Oliver-to anyone-least of all to her.

Tear burned her eyes and for a moment his face fell, but she smiled, and squeezed his hand, her heart like a jackhammer in her chest.

“Yes.”

 

 

 


	2. The Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver takes Felicity to their date

Her hand was so small.

Small and delicate in his big calloused hand.

Oliver marveled for a moment, absorbing the fact that he, Oliver Queen, was finally on a real date with Felicity Smoak. And to think it only cost him fifty thousand dollars.

“Where are we going?” Anywhere you want, he wanted to say, but instead he said, “It’s a surprise.” Felicity gave a small pout which morphed into a smile as she looked out the window of the car. 

The streetlights created a kaleidoscope of shades on her face. 

When she walked on that stage tonight, Oliver legitimately thought he had never seen a more beautiful woman. She was radiant. He had seen Felicity dressed up before- especially for all of her duties during her time as his EA, but something about how the deep purple gown clung to her body and the rich tone made her skin and hair glow. It could have been the lighting, it could have just been her soul shining, but when he saw her, she took his breath away. 

Thea had come to his house earlier in the day sprouting some nonsense of a bachelorette auction and how she needed him to go instead of her because she had a pervious commitment that she could not get out of and it was one of their mother’s favorite charities.

Oliver said no. He wasn’t going to bid on a woman for a date, regardless of how worthily the cause. And anyway, the only person he wanted to date…well, he had no idea how to cross that line yet.

“Oh that is too bad,” Thea said, looking at her nails as if they were the most fascinating object in the world, “Felicity is going to be one the bacherlottes.”

He felt like she punched him in the gut. Shock vibrated though out his system. Thea only grinned as if nothing had happened and nodded with a little too much enthusiasm. “Oh yes, the charity lost a bacherlotte at the last minute and I offered to find a replacement and Felicity agreed this morning.”

Felicity, auctioning off a date. Auctioning off her undivided attention for a minimum of three hours. Oliver’s mind reeled.

“Also, did I mention, Ted Kord would be there? His company is sponsoring the auction this year. It really would be lovely to see if he could win the date with Felicity. She really need to unwind more.”

By now Oliver knew what Thea was doing. Oliver knew she was manipulating him, pushing him to show up and create some sort of scene by generated a bidding war with Kord. Felicity wasn’t a piece of meat. She wasn’t a prize. But he would be damned to let Kord have another date with her again, not when Oliver was finally-

He picked up his cell called Diggle and Roy.

Now, sitting in the car with Felicity, Oliver allowed a moment of glee. Oliver’s plan had been simple enough, win. After that he only had the roughest idea of what to do. He had multiple scenarios, all depending on Felicity’s reaction.

Thankfully, she was acting bemused, cautious, but happy.

He could work with all of those.

So plan A, he thought. 

He drove and when they pulled up to his house, Felicity casted a wary eye to the single level home he shared with Conner.

“Um…” Unasked questions hovered in the air. 

“Don’t worry, Felicity.” Oliver chuckled and whispered into her ear,” It is just a date.” She jumped at the sound of his voice and another blush seeped up her neck.

Adorable, he couldn’t help it. He knew he shouldn’t tease her, at least not so soon since their barely acknowledged shift in their relationship. But frankly, he couldn’t help himself, he let out another puff of air and relished in the slight shiver it created in her, “Dinner, conversation. I promise, I will be a prefect gentleman.” She looked at him, amusement in her eyes and she laughed, “A gentleman? Aw that is such a shame Oliver, where is the wild party boy everyone told me about?” She teased. 

Heat burned and anticipation hummed in his blood, he answered with a soft laugh of his own, his fingers touched edge of her ear and the sharp intake of her breath at the touch ripped the words from his lust ridded mind, “I won’t ravish you Felicity.” Hurt flickered in her eyes and he could feel her pull away a little but he followed, his lips only a faction from her cheek, “ That is unless you want me to.”

Felicity whipped her head to him, her eyes wide, her breath coming out in hard pants. It caused her breasts to strain against her gown.

Oliver could feel things getting out of hand very fast. Time to take it back a step. Slow, they needed to go slow. Everything was still too new between them and even though he wasn’t a talker, he knew they couldn’t go there until there was an understanding between them. This thing between them, deserved to be done right.

“Come on,” Oliver said, he opened the door and walked around to open hers. Felicity just sat there, starting off into nothing, her breath still labored. He knew what she felt and he bent down and clasped her hand, then helped her out of the car. 

Oliver forwent the main entrance and instead lead Felicity towards the wooden gate which lead to his backyard.

John had asked him once why Oliver hadn’t moved back to the mansion after they regained the property- especially after Conner came to live with him. Diggle didn’t understand why Oliver would chose this little house saddled between the line of the affluent neighborhood he once called home and the Glades.

Oliver told him part of the truth-the mansion held too many ghosts, too much lies , too much anger and misunderstanding.

But what Diggle didn’t know was the look on Felicity’s face when she walked into the backyard of this place, full of wildflowers growing in large beds around the back of the house and a wonderful oak tree holding court in the center like an queen on a throne. 

“Oh,”she said, her eyes shining, taking in the colors and sunshine. Then Conner sped past him and started to climb the roots of the great tree.

Oliver put in an offer that day.

Since moving in, he hadn’t changed much of the backyard, just making sure the landscapers keep the beds clean of weeds and trimmed the grass. Though he did add-lights. Oliver added strings of soft yellow lights through out the backyard, making it always look like stars had fallen down and sprinkled themselves throughout the garden.

He made sure they were on tonight as Felicity crossed the threshold. His threaded his fingers with hers. Her heartbeat was rapid-just like his.

There wasn’t anywhere to hide this time. No madman, no desperate nightmare to escape. Nothing but him and her.

It terrified him, but at the same time, he felt liberated. Bright and sure.

He loved Felicity.

After everything, after all the doubts and fears, after the remorse and the regrets of missed oppurtunies, he loved her and now, god willing, now, it was time.

And now when they entered the backyard he bought for the wonder in her eyes, he smiled as Felicity said, “Wow.” 

Oliver took in what she saw, the lights twinkled throughout the backyard, the large oak looked as if fairies lived in the branches.

At the base of the tree, Oliver saw a blanket with a small basket. He gave silent thanks to Roy for coming through.

“Wait.” Felicity said and Oliver’s heart dropped. Here it came, the inevitable end-

Her face was still flushed, and her lips looked darker and fuller in the semi darkness.

“I need to take my shoes off. Heals hate grass.” A snort escaped Oliver and a knot in his chest loosened by an increment. He let out a breath.

Felicity took off the silver pumps and let them dangle from her index finger.

“When did you do this?” She whispered. 

“The lights?” he asked, feeling suddenly very shy, like a little boy giving a girl a flower for the first time.

Felicity nodded, her eyes never leaving the tree and the lights lining the fence.

“I had them installed a few weeks ago. The tree lights, Conner and I installed.” He didn’t tell her, not yet at least, he got the idea one night a months ago when she sat in the backyard, drinking some wine after getting Conner to bed, and said the backyard reminded her the Secret Garden, she read as a kid. It made her think of magic and possibilities and wasn’t it too bad it was too dark to see it during the night.

“It is beautiful,” she said thickly, he looked at her, surprised to see tears brimming in her eyes.

“Felicity?”

She waves a hand in the air and rubbed the corner of her eye, “Don’t worry about me, sorry, it just is really beautiful Oliver.”

He stared at her then, with the lights of the garden playing in the blue depths of her eyes. The flush of her cheeks, with the scent of the wildflowers swimming in the air. 

Oliver stepped towards her, entranced.He squeezed their joined hands and leaned in.

“Felicity.” 

Her lips parted, her eyes fixed on his face.

Then surrounded by the garden-

She kissed him.


	3. The Talk

Oliver tasted like champagne. 

Felicity felt her blood sing at the realization she was actually kissing Oliver.

And it felt freaking amazing.

Her dress slid adjacent the fabric of his suit and Felicity could feel the taunt body she had spent years admiring.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him in closer.

Closer.

It wasn’t close enough.Their lips danced and tasted and dipped.  

Felicity let her fingers comb through the fine hairs at his nape. Oliver moaning and pulled her tight against him. The fiction sent a shudder through her.  

Oliver moved his lips from hers and kissed her cheek, her eye lids, down her neck and lavished the sensitive spot right underneath her ear.

“Oliver,” she whispered. Everything inside her hummed and was hyperaware of every single thing happening. Just the touch of his fingers on her bare arm had her almost panting.

Too much anticipation.They had been walking such a fine line for so long, the tension just became a weight both of them dragged along, balancing it on their shoulders, not even noticing how much it drag them down.

Until it wasn’t there and now she felt crazy and light and free.

Dangerous. 

Oliver sucked on her neck, then licking the swollen area.

Felicity groaned and let him support her in his arms.

She answered in kind and took one of his earlobes in between her teeth and gave him a small bite.

He jerked and pulled away.His eyes dark and his chest heaving as if he had just finished an intense workout.

“Hold on.” He voice gravel, “we need to talk.”

 _Great,_ Felicity thought, _here we go._ She mentally started to distance herself, putting up the barriers she had been using for so long they had become second nature.She wanted to keep the disappointment out of her face, her eyes, but everything was too raw, too something and then what the hell was all this-the night, the lights, him and his “are you ready?” question.They both knew he wasn’t asking her about the ride, then why-

Oliver gave her a small shake, “Stop it.You are wrong.Whatever bullshit you are building up in your head it is wrong.”

Anger flushed inside her and she tired to pull away, but he held on, “And what bullshit am I building up in my head, Oliver?”

Oliver threw his head back and let out an exasperated sigh, “This is not how I wanted to the night to be. “

More bricks in the barriers, “I get it, no problem. Thanks for the bid, at least I wasn’t totally embarrassed.”

She looked away and and tried to hid her devastation.  

“Felicity, for a genius, you really can be an idiot.” Oliver said.

Her eyes snapped back to his and he wore a stupid smile, a loving, infuriated expression on his face.

“What?” 

Oliver shook his head and said, “I wanted to talk about us.” He gestured between them.

She frowned, “I know.”

Again he laughed and looked up to the heavens as if for advice,”No, you don’t.”

Then Oliver Queen cupped the back of Felicity Smoak’s head and kissed her speechless.

After, when she could think again, Oliver pulled away and said, “Do you understand now?”

“Um..” She said, touching her swollen lips.

When he looked like he was about to sigh again she exploded and pushed him a little on his chest, “Oliver will you just speak plain english and tell me what you want.”

He gripped her hand and pressed it against his heart, his eyes blazing, “You. I want you.I want you in the morning when I wake up. I want your smiles.Your laughter. I want you screaming at me. I want you to kiss me, make love with me. I want all of you, Felicity. Every single thing for as long as you would let me.”

Silence.

Only the sound of her thundering heart in her ears.

“Oh.” She croaked.

And then he smiled and pressed his lips on hers again, whispering in between a kiss,“Finally.”

 

The next morning, when the front door opened, Thea came in with Conner behind her.  

The sight which greeted her made her grin.Felicity sat at the kitchen counter, her hair piled up in a messy nest of curls, it looked like she was drowning in a pair of Oliver’s shorts and t-shirt.Her brother was busy making breakfast in the kitchen, both of them keep eyeing the other with two matching idiotic happy looks.

Thea smirked, _Hah! Roy and John owned her fifty bucks each!_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! Thanks for reading this little ficlet. I hope you enjoyed it!

**Author's Note:**

> This small fic came from a series of prompt requests asking for a bachelor(ette) auction. This is the result. Hope you enjoy!


End file.
